This Irish bar takes sports as seriously as it does pulling perfect pints of Guinness. With what must be the city’s highest screen-to-sqm ratio, this Irish bar shows every major game on – and all at the same time.

They don’t discriminate, either. In addition to more popular sports, Paddy O’Shea’s even accommodates Beijing’s burgeoning e-sports fan base, with weekly live streams of the most hotly contested video game competitions.

Paddy’s also sponsors nine local sports teams, everything from the Beijing Celtics to the Hash House Harriers (‘a drinking club with a running problem’), to a handball team without a name, ensuring a steady stream of sport lovers and an exuberant crowd.

Aiming to be your neighbourhood local (hence the name), the team here are keen to please and can seemingly show anything. Gather enough people and ask the owners nicely enough and you should be able to get your game screened. At nearly three metres across, their projection screen is the next best thing to actually being in the stadium. Catch the Aussie Rules here and you’ll feel like you’re Down Under.

Great Leap Brewing Original #6 sums up perfectly what it means to be a hutong bar – a cosy, laidback courtyard drinking hole stolen away in the winding alleyways of Gulou. The now-classy space has come a long way since the bar’s humble beginnings – its original ramshackle interior was retrofitted to look more like the brewery’s flagship brewpub, and this autumn saw a facelift for the courtyard. Original #6 has got the charm of the hutongs, with the polish of professionalism and a steady stream of inventive beer out the taps. Friend in town? Take them here for modern China in a nutshell.

It could be said that 4Corners hides multiple personalities within its warren of rooms. When taken as a whole, its bar, restaurant, music and courtyard space combine to form an ultra-hip hangout. Weekly open mics, quiz nights and storytelling sessions plus banging live music on the weekends make it a Gulou destination.

Since summer 2014, Capital Spirits has changed the way we view China’s most iconic spirit, baijiu. Boasting over 50 varieties from all over the country, the team at Capital Spirits has tailored the notion of a ‘specialist spirit’ bar into a unique, only-in-Beijing experience. Knowledgeable bartenders are there to guide you through your first (or tenth) baijiu experience, with 12 different tasting flights on offer.

The Distillery is another bright spot for speciality spirits. Championing gin as its spirit of choice, with 40 international varieties presented, the drinks nerds behind the bar are also experimenting with distilling their own alcohol, and offer a rotating selection of house-made options including classic, seasonal and ‘with Chinese characteristics’.

Open 24 hours a day, Centro is a legend in nightlife circles. In a town
where people love the latest thing, Centro
has stood the test of time. That’s no mean
feat, when the cool kids look down on hotel
bars as not being real enough. Centro
keeps it real, though. The cocktail program
is solid and expansive, they throw parties
that never end and they’ve been known to
host a world-renowned guest bartender or
two. Plus, and it’s a big plus, the happy hour
is maybe the best in the city. Centro is going
to outlast us all.

Xian reinvented the wheel for hotel bars
by offering everything under one roof over
at East Beijing. There’s vibes for everyone,
from frat boys chugging beers and playing
foosball to eurotrash poseurs wearing
sunglasses and trying not to bop to the
band. It’s a place to let your hair down, and
people do. Especially at the wild bashes.
Xian has put Jiuxianqiao on the map.

Find Beijing speakeasies, inventive creations and fun twists on classic concoctions. We unveil Beijing's best cocktail bars of 2015, as decided by our editors and readers in the Bar & Club Awards 2015.

Since opening in the summer, Infusion Room has quickly become plan A for
anyone who’s about the drinks. The menu’s
imaginative and unlike anything else in
town, while the intimate surrounds have
echoes of its former factory life and hit just
the right blend of classy yet casual. Think The Kombu Soup, a clever
riff on a dirty martini with a salty water spray,
virgin olive oil and Japanese kelp; or Papa’s
Childhood, which is reminiscent of a Beijing
breakfast with homemade soy milk, whisky,
wild honey and sesame sauce.

A heavyweight in the cocktail scene right out the gate since opening in 2012, this classy two-floor dive keeps raising the bar. Co-owner Warren Pang continues to be one of the more brilliant minds in the city’s cocktail scene, supported by a strong team of the next generation, including one-to-watch Sunny Sun. Glamorously tricked out in woodpanelling, leather banquettes and polished concrete floors, it certainly isn’t a bad place to sip on an Old Fashioned.

Great
Leap Brewing #45 Brewpub has nailed
the perfect combo of everything we want
in a taproom – a relaxed, airy atmosphere,
some killer greasy grub and a top-notch
leafy rooftop patio for the warmer months.
Oh yeah, and heaps of beers rotating
on draft with a guest tap from different
breweries around the world each month.

Relative new kid on the block Jing A
Brewing Taproom took Beijing by storm
last autumn and hasn’t let up since.
Besides offering what we all now expect (a
solid roster of their own brews, a gorgeous
space, enough bar bites to stave off that
hangover), it’s like the Jing A crew can’t
get over finally having a home of their own.
Nearly every month sees another new event
or collaboration at the taproom, whether a
pop-up kitchen or a fun run where everyone
chugs beer and runs a mile.

Yet again, Funky – the Mainland’s slickest
LGBT venue – has risen magnificently
above itself this year, setting standards for
entertainment, theme nights and music
that are honestly hard to beat. Particular
highlights in 2015 were innovations on
global circuit parties, including the White
Party, Neon Rainbows and Songkran.
By borrowing what works elsewhere
(well-groomed pan-global gogo boys,
cutting-edge beats and a three-tier interior
comprising lounge, terrace and dance pit),
and cutting loose what doesn’t (carpet,
foam, or a combination of the two), Funky’s
winning formula keeps packing the hotties
to the rafters every weekend. This place
would be a class act on the scene of any
world city. In Beijing, it’s an effing miracle.

Les
Booze has done what many thought was
impossible – become a self-sustaining
social and dance night for girls who love
girls that is so successful it’s on the eve
of launching a second franchise. China’s
lalas, both local and foreign, have lacked a
hangout they can call their own for so long
that when Les Booze came along, nobody
gave it a chance. Instead, the organisers
have learned what works, and coordinated
what might be one of the friendliest and
most laid-back nights in town. No wonder
that, gay, bi or straight, Beijing’s ladies have
kept coming back for more.

The capital's top spinners and decksmiths. We unveil Beijing's best DJs in 2015, as decided by our editors and readers in the Bar & Club Awards 2015.

Winner DJ Watermelon

Despite a strong
track record of spinning
for nearly a decade,
DJ Watermelon may not
be the first name you think
of. That may be because of
his 14 years abroad with stints
in Japan and Korea. Recently
returned to Beijing in 2013,
Watermelon has spent the last
two years building steam and
dropping the funkiest beats.
He’s been the leading force
in the Full Time Chillers Crew. Now, you’ll find him at all hottest parties around, opening for the likes of DJ Shadow and DJ Krush.

Merit DJ Weng Weng

The main man behind
underground club Lantern,
DJ Weng Weng has been a
huge part of Beijing’s electronic
scene for over a decade. Over
the years, he’s kept Lantern
firmly dedicated techno
and underground house
in a climate where EDM
and generic pop is the
stock standard. He also
co-founded Acupuncture
Records, the label that
went on to pioneer
electronic music fixtures
like Intro Festival – which
incidentally, Weng Weng
saved this past year.

Readers’ Choice DJ Weng Weng

Parties with big names, funky tunes, a buzzing crowd and more. We unveil Beijing's best club nights of 2015, as decided by our editors and readers in the Bar & Club Awards 2015.

Winner Syndicate Sessions

In their eleventh year of parties, the
bass-loving Syndicate crew have done
everything from hosting festival stages at
the Great Wall Party and Intro to presenting
international talent like Doc Scott, Om Unit
and Sam Binga this year. Syndicate’s near-monthly
club night Syndicate Sessions
never fails to impress wherever it’s popping
off around town, with the group’s talented
crew – like Blackie.

Merit Neon Zoo

Neon Zoo has also been going strong
for nearly three years and always packs
the house at underground alternative
club Lantern. This Day-Glo mad bunch of
party animals, led by the NB Noise gang
of Danny Flora, El-Mar Bengal and Sasha
Zhou, features a ‘strictly EDM free’ music
policy, so get ready for everything deep,
progressive and with a serious house vibe.
With a rotating line-up of guest DJs, the
night also presents the wackiest surprises,
with experimental UV light technology, body
paint and everything in between.

Readers’ Choice Street Kids

Raised dancefloors, confetti cannons, bottle service and more. We unveil Beijing's best mainstream clubs of 2015, as decided by our editors and readers in the Bar & Club Awards 2015.

Jaw-droppingly supersized
with a lightshow not to be challenged,
the party is always on at Sir Teen. Even on
Sunday, the crowd is heaving and the EDM
is keyed up to 11. With names like LMFAO’s
Redfoo and electronic duo DVBBS making
appearances this year, this newcomer has
invested in bringing over big-name acts.

Even the city’s mainstream clubbing
mainstays are keeping it fresh. Spark in
The Place has always been a staple among the city’s nightlife tastemakers, bringing in
artists like will.i.am and Lil Jon in years past.
This summer, the space got a refresh and
has already brought some uber cool artists,
like Sander van Doorn, and a random guest
celebrity slot from footballer Rio Ferdinand.
Expect more to come in 2016.

Can you count how many times you’ve
burst out of the black box of debauchery
that is Dada only to discover the glint
of the first morning rays on your sweat-encrusted
mug? Us neither. But if you
can count because the answer is zero,
then you are doing something seriously
wrong. Pulling in what feels like more high-profile
guest DJs than the rest of the city
combined, this indie club has played host
to names like Traxman and Lady Chann
this year. Entry charges are minimal even
for big billings and frequently free when
local crews headline, with a youthful and
enthusiastic crowd packing the dancefloor
every weekend. It’s small, it’s grimy, it’s
the only club in town where you can’t book
a table, and we love it.

Year after year, Spanish party house
Migas continues to fuel the summer
with top-tier cocktails, an unparalleled
rooftop specially renovated each season,
and some of the best clubbing in the city.
Winter’s hardly different, just minus the
open-air terrace from the equation. Music
director Jeff Hinson collaborates regularly
with some of the city’s coolest promoters
like Street Kids, and has brought in
international acts including Roland Clark
and Crazy P.

Dusk Dawn Club (DDC) has been
steadily making a name for itself since it
opened in the summer of 2014, wowing
Beijing rock regulars with its exquisite
courtyard interior, wide selection of
whiskies and craft beers, and varied roster
of shows. This year, it distinguished itself
with bold, eclectic programming that ranged
from modern jazz to Nordic pop, challenging
both audiences and musicians to reach
outside their comfort zones. Perhaps just as
important: it’s doggone pleasant, which is
a welcome change for anyone who doesn’t
appreciate the dive scene.

Repping a more down ‘n’ dirty approach
to rock, School Live Bar continued its
streak of near-bulletproof programming,
hosting week after week of no-holds-barred
punk and rock shows featuring some of the
best talent Beijing – and occasionally, other
cities – has to offer. But School doesn’t just
excel at hosting boozy, rambunctious gigs;
the venue has a knack for identifying and
nurturing talented young artists, and this
year was no exception.

Since opening in the summer, this cocktail bar has quickly become plan A for anyone who’s about the drinks. The menu’s imaginative and unlike anything else in town, while the intimate surrounds have echoes of its former factory life and hit just the right blend of classy yet casual.

In the club scene, small but mighty Hush took over Gongti last autumn as Beijing’s first ‘hip-hop champagne room’ – all words we like. Sure, you can get the latest top 40 bangers and Usher remixes at any of its neighbours, but this isn’t the kind of hip-hop that Hush is about. Hush spins the classics and R&B, and it’s all about the vibes and VIPs – with major celebs, like Matt Damon in the summer, rolling through on the regular.

Beijing’s come a long way from not so long ago when ‘cocktail’ once meant a watery G&T, and probably with fake booze at that, but the team over at Infusion Room is straight-up skyrocketing us into the future. With head bartenders Paul Hsu and Kevin Song at the helm, this intimate bar in south Sanlitun boasts the city’s most forward-thinking cocktail menu, expertly executed.

Two years after opening, Great Leap
Brewing #12 Brewpub still pulls no
punches. Looking for a lively drinking
atmosphere? Weekends or weeknights, this
is your stop. The sleek interior and rough
finish makes even the messiest night feel
more reputable, and both drink and service
are put out with consistent professionalism.
The flagship taproom continues to be Great
Leap’s crown jewel and an all-round marker
of what Beijing nightlife has the potential to
be. We can drink to that.